Laundry machine with replaceable container



Nam 25, 1947. J, QLEN 2,431,418

LAUNDRY MACHINE WITH REPLACEABLE CONTAINER Filed July 17, 1946 INV NTOR JOSEP/l GLEN ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 25, 1947 LAUNDRY MACHINE WITH REPLACEABL CONTAINER Joseph Olen, Jersey City, N. J.

Application July 17, 1946, Serial No. 684,272

2 Claims.

My invention relates generally to laundering machines, and in particular it relates to machines of the type wherein the entire laundering cycle may be carried out in successive stages; that is, my invetnion relates to a machine wherein articles to be laundered are soaked, washed, rinsed and partially dried in successive operations.

The main object of my invention is the provision of an apparatus of the character described, which comprises a housing, laundering fluid inlet and outlet means, a rotatable support, within the casing, a plurality of containers, and means to removably support same on the support, and means to permit access to the containers and means to remove the containers from the support. l

Another object of my ingention is the provision, in a device. of the character described, of a hub and an annular ring spaced outwardly therefrom, radially keyed to receive laundry containers removably therewithin.

Other and further objects of my invention will in part be obvious, and still others will be pointed out specifically in connection with the following description and an illustrative embodiment thereof.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof;

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of one form of device constructed according to and embodying my invention, partly broken away to show details of interior construction.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the container component of my invention.

My device comprises a large watertight casing I0, having uid inlet and outlet means I2, |4, near the bottom thereof. The casing component of my invention is limited only by the size of the wheel support and containers disposed therewithin. At the upper portion of the casing, a door, as 20, may be provided to p ermit ready access vto the interior thereof. Door 20 need be only large enough to permit easy removal of the container elements 80, 80, from their mounts and re-inserted thereon. Door 2U is fitted onto casing l0 as to be water-tight therewith.

A pair of support brackets 30, 30, are provided and disposed adjacent to and in front and in back of casing I0 in alignment, on which brackets suitable aligned bearings 3| 3| are formed. I dispose a shaft 32 across bearings 3|, 3|, to one end of which shaft I may secure a peripherally grooved pulley wheel 34 by'which shaft 32 may be rotated, as desired, by an endless belt connection or otherwise. Within casing I0, I aflix to shaft 32 a circular hub member 36 rotatable with the shaft, and I provide a plurality of radially extending arms 40, 40, evenly arranged about the periphery of the hub. The'outer ends of radial arms or spokes 40 are secured to annular rim members 42, 42, which may be substantially equal in width to the width of hub 36.

On hub 36, and midway between each of the radial arms or spokes 40, I form a V-notch as 50, 50, opening outwardly. In radial alignment with notches 50, 5U, I provide a similar plurality of V-shaped notches or recesses 60, 60, on the inner aspect of the annular rims 4'2, 42, notches 60, 60, opening downwardly. As shown in Fig. 1, these V-shaped notches 60,60, on the inner aspect of the rim members are formed by plugs 62, 62, secured to and extending inwardly of the inner rim face. These plugs, however, may be supported from the rim and secured thereto in any desired manner.

It will be seen that each hub notch 5U, opening outwardly, is radially aligned with an inverted V-notch opening inwardly from the rim.

The container 80, components of my invention are formed of any suitable material-a light gauge metal being preferred, diamond-shaped in section, the sides 23, 25 and. the front portions 21, 29 and also the back portions I9 of which are suitably apertured to permit uninterrupted movement of laundering uids therethrough.` Portion 29 of each container is hinged as at 3|', so that easy access may be had to the interior thereof. The overall length of the containers is equal to the radial distance between each hub notch 50 and rim notch 60, so that the top a of each container is received within one rim notch 60 and the bottom b thereof received within the corresponding and radially aligned hub notch 50. I provide guard arms 1D, 10, pivotally secured to each radial spoke or arm 40, as at 12, the other end of which arm is provided with a hook 14 for engagement with a pin suitably disposed adjacent spoke arm 40.

My device may be operated in the following manner. The containers 20, 20, are successively removed from the wheel mount and iilled with articles to be laundered. The containers are inserted within the wheel, the upper and lower ends, a, b, being received and supported between the hub and the rim in the V-notches 50, 6|), the Wheel being rotated successively to bring the inter-arm spaces opposite the door 20. When all the containers are lled and locked in position (as shown in Fig. 1), door 20 is locked and the fluid permitted to enter casing i0. The sequence of operations thereafter may be varied within wide limits, but the containers will be between the hub and rim during rotation of shaft 32, until the cycle is completed, when the fluids are drained off, door 20 opened, the containers removed, emptied and refllled with other articles to be laundered.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A laundry machine comprising a rotatable shaft, a hub disposed about the shaft for rotation therewith, an annular ring disposed about the hub and spaced therefrom, means comprising a plurality of spoke arms between the hub and ring to maintain the ring at a predetermined distance from the hub, a plurality of laundry containers having end sections of reduced size, a plurality of notches across the ring opening inwardly towards the hub, and a similar plurality REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Ligget May 16, 1911 Huebsch Dec. 2, 1941 Number 

